The Australian Open Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed teams gathered in Sydney for a three day camp over the weekend to begin pivotal phases of their preparation for the Federation of International Touch World Cup to be played in Stellenbosch South Africa from January 17-21 2007.
The three Australian Open Teams will attend a series of intensive camps in Sydney and Brisbane in the build-up to the World Cup.
In addition, National coaches have organized satellite training groups in the areas of skills and fitness to cater for World Cup Open players all over the nation on a regular basis in the lead-up to the tournament.
The training camp was conducted at Toyota Park, Cronulla on Friday and Saturday, and at the New South Wales Touch Association at the Canterbury Velodrome, Earlwood on Sunday.
Aaron Scott, a journalist for “Inside Sport” magazine tracked the progress of the squad for the first two days of the camp.
Aaron interviewed various players, coaches, and officials over Friday and Saturday and was amazed at the skill level and dexterity players possessed across a range of fitness and game play disciplines.
Interstate Australian representative players were billeted by their New South Wales based team mates and there was a sense of excitement for the players who were coming together for the first time since the final teams for the World Cup were announced late last month.
Friday saw the Australian World Cup contingent completing paperwork for gear sizing and uniform requirements as well as listening to a pre tour brief about South Africa and all aspects of interest pertaining to the World Cup tour.
Touch Football Australia (TFA) Game Development Manager, Colm Maguire, and TFA’s High Performance Coordinator Maree Curran had embarked on a logistical and planning mission to South Africa in June this year.
The duo relayed their insights at Friday’s information session to the Australian touring party to help prepare the teams for the cultural, social, and competitive journey ahead.
Players and Coaches were also given their first look at the On-line Athlete Conditioning Program, and the Athlete Management System incorporating on-line training records, TID, injury management, and administration.
This system is going to be implemented and utilized in the lead up to the 2007 World Cup and in the fabric of the National Training Squad Program at both Open and Youth level in the future.
The three Open teams were fitness tested on Friday and performed extremely well under the watchful gaze of the three National Coaches and Assistant Coaches, TFA’s National Performance Analyst Ian Stanley, TFA’s Director of Elite Programs, Cathy Gray, and TFA Sports Scientist, Ben Wisbey.
Wisbey put the players through their paces in oppressive, 34-degree heat.
Some very impressive results were recorded across the TFA Fitness Assessment areas of speed, defensive agility, speed endurance, and aerobic endurance tests.
Australian Men’s Open representative Drumayne Dayberg-Muir scorched through the 40-metre test in 5.11 seconds, whilst Australian Women’s Open Captain Sharyn Williams, and Mixed Open speedsters Brad Holden and Steve Roberts turned on their sonic fast feet to be among the quickest in their teams.
Australian Men’s Open representative, Nathan Jones topped the Aerobic endurance charts with an impressive level 16.1 result in the “Beep” test, whilst every member of the Australian Women’s Open team achieved the standard coach Kerry Norman had set for them prior to the camp.
Louise ‘Squeeze’ Winchester, Shelley Matcham, and Teena McIlveen all scored over 13 in the “beep”, whilst Ben ‘Boozer’ Mc Cullen and Steve Roberts performed admirably to lead the way for the Mixed Open in the punishing endurance test which pundits believe tells as much about mental toughness as physical ability to endure when the going gets tough.
Brad Holden, Australian Women’s Open young gun Roxy “Rocket” Winder, and experienced Australian Men’s Open star Anthony Ziade set the standard in defensive agility for the three teams, whilst all members of the respective Open teams recorded very solid efforts in the speed endurance department at this stage of World Cup preparations.
Ben Wisbey was suitably impressed with the fitness levels of the vast majority of players on the whole.
“Considering the intense heat, this is one of the more impressive efforts in terms of performance and attitude to testing that I’ve seen from the Australian teams across the board. Four months out (from the World Cup) the background work needs to be intensified, but it will eventually lead to quality game specific efforts at the business end of the preparation,” said Wisbey.
Saturday dawned and the rising mercury was expected to be matched with a rising intensity in team and player concentration and endeavour as the three teams got into the “nuts and bolts” of their preparation over the next two days.
DVD analysis, ball skills and drills, patterns and plays, defensive sessions, and tactical and individual and team feedback segments were conducted by the coaching staff of the three National teams.
Solid game play against quality opposition from Vawdon Cup teams in the stifling heat provided the Men’s and Women’s Open teams with the opportunity to hone some combination and reinforce individual and team policies, tactics, and structure.
Australian Women’s Open Coach Kerry Norman was happy with her team’s efforts during the camp.
“I’m pretty happy with the way the girls have applied themselves at this point. They are all working well together and we can look to build on this for the next camp. We have a couple of injury concerns in ‘Pity’ (Melissa Galea) and ‘Lambo’ (Kylie Hilder) and time will tell on their progress. ‘Billy’ (Sharyn Williams) has a nagging knee, but nothing too serious. We’re really looking forward to the next camp in November in Sydney again to cement a few more things for us.” Norman said.
If Kerry Norman was happy with her team’s efforts overall, think 100% the opposite way for an insight into Australian Men’s Open Coach Tony Trad’s assessment of his team’s performances at the camp on the weekend.
Many keen observers can’t recall bearing witness to many more severe dressing downs than the spray ‘Trady’ reserved for the Australian Men’s team during the camp.
Neither could Trady!
“To be honest, I gave them heaps, but we were disgraceful at times, and we need to not be content with mediocrity if we are to achieve the big goal at the end of it all. I was filthy! (Trady says this with a self deprecating laugh) but it had to be said, and you can go one of two ways after you get some home truths – you can live in denial, or you can take up the challenge. That’s the honesty of effort required to be an effective part of this team.”
Australian Open Men’s player Phil Gyemore was adamant that his coach’s assessment was spot on.
“Trady gave it to us all about our attitude and scratchy efforts out there. It’s an honesty thing. He challenged us to pull our heads in and play a better team game and get our attitude right. We deserved it, and we came out against Lebanon in the afternoon game and pulled together better. We can all certainly improve in every department next camp.” Gyemore said.
Coach Trad, in his open and honest way, did not try and duck away from his comments to the players.
“Yeah, I gave them a big spray. They were sloppy and their execution of the little things that make the difference was sadly lacking. I was hoping to pick up where we left off at All Nations late last year, but the teamwork we worked so hard to develop was absent and the boys were content to treat the games we had at the camp as ‘smoke up’ sessions – it was very individualistic at times with players trying to beat their opposition all by themselves, and that was very frustrating all round. To their credit, they lifted against Lebanon, but they are all on notice, that is not what is expected or what is acceptable at this level. I’m confident though, that the players can address the lack of professionalism in their individual efforts at this camp and build from here.”
Australian Mixed Open Coach, Gary Madders was pleased with the way his team gelled and worked in together. Some players were even meeting each other for the first time. Such are the vagaries of Mixed with players being drawn together from the respective Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Open National Training Squads to form one team.
The Mixed team’s fitness results were solid, if not spectacular, but it was their sharpness in ball work, willingness to work together, and energetic game play that had onlookers impressed with the Mixed team’s approach to the task of preparing as well as possible for the World Cup.
“It was a good start. We all worked in well together - the coaches and the players. We will work towards the next camp and try and refine things a bit and keep building from there. It’s a great start and the players worked hard in trying conditions, but we certainly have laid a good foundation.” Madders said.
The camp, whilst intense and physically draining also featured an opportunity for the three teams and the Elite referees, who were invited to the camp to launch the TFA High Performance Referee Program, to unwind and have dinner together on the Saturday night.
Those with enough energy left, then headed off to the Olympic Stadium at Homebush to watch the NRL Preliminary Final between the St. George Dragons and the Melbourne Storm.
Unfortunately for avid Dragons supporters Gary Madders, Maree Curran, Team Physiotherapist Louise Eddy, and myself, the Dragons couldn’t quite get there.
Despite our long faces at fulltime we all had to admit the footy played under a perfect night sky was sensational, and all members of the Australian teams who attended enjoyed themselves.
The choking noises made the next morning by ‘Tash’, Benny Roberts, ‘Fongy’, and ‘Boozer’ as the Mixed Open Coaching staff walked by was duly noted. Those fitness sessions keep looking better all the time, team!!!
After another grueling training morning Sunday at the Canterbury Velodrome, the Camp broke up around lunchtime and teams went their separate ways.
If the training camp was not testing enough, some NSW based players had to back up and play catch up games for their Vawdon Cup sides Sunday afternoon. Full marks to the Aussie players for turning out and playing under difficult circumstances to fulfill their commitment to their local teams.
Australian Women’s Open player Kelly Woods ‘kindly’ volunteered to drive many of the weary players to the airport in a bus organized by Tony Trad.
‘Wood duck’ had the head snap going and showed her agility was not restricted to the field of play with some snappy maneuvers behind the wheel. Apparently, we arrived safe and sound at Sydney Airport for the flight home. I say apparently, because I closed my eyes whilst Woodsy had her audition for the “Bathurst 1000.”…
I opened them when the “Gravitron” ride came to a screeching halt.
Armed with a bag full of dirty training clothes in one hand, and a tray of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the other, players headed for home with sore legs, but clear heads, and a new focus about the next stage of the journey towards the 2007 World Cup.
